Your most strategic role in the World Christian movement

October 2, 2016

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Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a huge crowd of witnesses to the life of faith, let us strip off every weight that slows us down, especially the sin that so easily trips us up. And let us run with endurance the race God has set before us. Hebrews 12:1 (New Living Translation)

You have a race to run. Which one is it?

You probably have more than one, but if you are a World Christian you have at least one!

Here are four roles or practices that you can evaluate, pray and ask God to use you in.

Be open to whatever He wants you to do. Be willing to do anything, anytime, anywhere for Him.

Now read and pray and take the baton. It is the race of a lifetime!

1. The Goers are the front line warriors

In a sense we are all goers, all front line warriors, because Jesus gave us the command to “go and make disciples of all nations.”

But, it is estimated that up to 95 percent of the world’s trained Christian workers live in good ole’ U.S. of A.

Most people would be willing to go…but are planning on staying. We need folks who are planning on going but are willing to stay, if that’s the most strategic thing to do for the Kingdom.

Most are waiting for the “liver quiver” (i.e. the emotional “calling” from on high telling them to be a missionary).

Amazingly, that is just about the only area of life that we apply this lightning bolt calling concept to!

There are about 800 million Bible-believing active Christians in the world today while 200 million of them are between 22-50 years of age.

Some estimate we need as little as 30,000 cross-cultural missionaries to finish reaching every unreached people group.

Are you spiritually unemployed? Have we got a job for you!

2. The Senders are the vicarious rope holders

There are devoted followers of Christ who would like to be overseas, but feel called to stay and hold the ropes for those who go.

Out of the 100,000 students who volunteered for missions from 1890-1930, about 20,000 went and 80,000 stayed at home to help fund them.

Think if we could get four lay people to team up and each support 1/4 of a missionary’s budget; we would make a ton of progress!

Christians’ after-tax income in America is well over three trillion dollars, yet we give less than two billion to missions. That’s about 1/8 of 1 percent.

We spend 10 billion on weight reduction programs and even more on cosmetics and dog food!

To be a financial sender you may have to take a radical look at your lifestyle in order to scale it back and give more to Christ’s Global Cause.

Senders not only give, but also pray.

They can shoot daily prayer arrows around the world asking God to raise up laborers, to empower those that are laboring, and bring about fruit in the unreached areas of the world.

You can impact the world right from your living room!

Lastly, senders are involved in personal ministry.

They can disciple others with a world vision and seek to send them into the harvest field.

A World Christian begets World Christians!

3. The Welcomers are the ministers of hospitality

There are approximately 850,000 international students in the U.S.

It’s like the Lord told us to go to the world and gave us all these resources, but we instead chose to stay and enjoy the comforts of America.

“Well,” God says, “if you won’t go to them, I’ll just bring them to you. Is this close enough?”

Our country has become an international melting pot and yet we rudely neglect to reach out to these foreigners.

Statistics show most international students will come here to study for 4-6 years and never enter an American’s home. They want to, but aren’t invited.

How would you feel if that happened to you in another country?

The temptation to get bitter and cynical is great towards our so-called “Christian nation.”

We can impact the world right here in our backyard because the world sends their best and brightest right to our doorstep.

You can adopt one or more future leaders while they are here.

Pray for them, love on them, share your life and faith with them. Let them see the day-to-day lifestyle you live and see what God will do. Send them back with a vision to reach their own country for Christ.

4. The Mobilizers are the strategic motivators

These are the ones who are sounding the alarm.

Wouldn’t it be more effective to wake 100 sleeping fireman to come and put out the blazing building than to stand there alone throwing your small buckets of water on it?

Mobilizers are those who yearn to be on the field, but are willing to stay behind to rally the troops.

They constantly stay busy forming mission committees at their churches, getting people praying and giving and going, organizing short and long-term mission teams, and always sticking books and materials into Christian’s hands.

Sadly, in exchange for their zeal, they are sometimes called “pests” or “fanatics” behind their backs!

Dr. Ralph Winter, founder of the U.S. Center for World Mission, now known as Frontier Ventures, said one of the highest priorities within the Body of Christ right now is for more mobilizers.

We need more men and women who will help open the eyes of believers to what God is doing around the world and guide them to find their most strategic role in completing this Great Commission.

A good definition for mobilization might be: “Deploying an army of laborers to the front lines where they are ordering their lives around the Great Commission.”

These are the ones helping believers find their niche as goers, senders, welcomers, or mobilizers.

Are you in the race? Have you moved from just a growing Christian to a World Christian?

This is someone who is now looking at the whole world (and all of life) from God’s perspective, rather than your own.

Interested to find a place to get a start for you and your family or friends? Order or download a copy of the seven lesson XPLORE booklet to go through and discuss.

It is an incredible resource used in 124 countries in 9 different languages.

It will help you discover what you’ve been missing as you begin to co-labor with the God of the Universe to see His name and His fame spread throughout the earth!

An excerpt from The Fuel and the Flame by Steve ShadrachTo order a copy, click here.